


His Ring

by pennyaray



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 18:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennyaray/pseuds/pennyaray
Summary: Oliver & the Monitor have a conversation about Oliver removing his ring for a mission.





	His Ring

**Author's Note:**

> After hearing Oliver wouldn't be wearing his ring in 8.01, but he would thereafter, this conversation on the why vs why not just popped into my head. Thought I'd share.

"Remove the ring"

"No."

"Remove your ring Mr. Queen."

"What are you going to do if I don't? Kill me?"

"It is what's required Mr. Queen."

"Required? Leaving my wife, my daughter, to fulfill my end of the bargain I made  
with you was what was required. This ring is the only thing I have left to remind  
me of my family. The family I'm trying to save, along with, according to you, the  
rest of the Universe. I'm not taking it off."

"I let you keep this memento of your wife, your home, but I can take it from you  
if need be."

"I dare you to try."

"I only ask you to remove it for this particular mission. Once it is over, you will  
not have to remove it again."

"Never?"

"Never. You have my word. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Daily."

"On this world Oliver Queen is not married to her. The people of this world do not   
know your Oliver, the one you have become. The one they know is the one you  
were before." 

"So it's the past then?"

"Not the past, an alternative."

"But not one where I'm married to my wife."

"No."

"Please don't tell me I'm with Laurel."

"No."

"Thank god."

"Hmmmm."

"Then I can find her. She'll be able to help."

"Finding her is not your mission. Not in this time or place."

"Why the hell not?" 

"I will not continue to have this debate with you. I will tell you this instead.  
In the entirety of the Multiverse, on every world, Oliver Queen is destined to be with  
Felicity Smoak. But on every world the fates conspire against you both. On some  
worlds you drown, on some worlds she becomes a cocktail waitress. On some worlds  
you become friends, partners, but never more. On some worlds you fall, become   
another, losing yourself and her. On some worlds the darkness consumes you,  
on some it consumes her. On some worlds you do join together, but secrets and  
lies break you apart, never to be joined again. Your earth is the only one on which  
this destiny has been fulfilled. The only one on which you are married to her, have  
a family with her, a life with her."

"A life that I've been taken away from. So, because I'm the only Oliver Queen that  
got the girl, and the son and daughter, I get the biggest 'screw you' from the  
universe."

"You misunderstand."

"I don't think I do. I finally had a chance to just live my life with her, but now it's  
not just a city that needs to be saved, it's the whole universe. And here I am, the  
only Oliver Queen to ever pass a test. A test that gets me a deal with you. A deal   
which exchanges my life for hers, and everyone else's."

"It is because of her that you passed that test and were able to have that chance.  
It is the belief and faith and love that she has for you that has made you the man  
you are today. The person that is capable of being the man, the leader, the Multiverse  
needs in this time of Crisis. Without Felicity Smoak, you, this Oliver Queen, would  
not exist."

"I can't save the world without her, never could."

"Your wife is needed elsewhere. She watches over your son, protects you daughter Mia."

"You leave my daughter out of this. You said she wouldn't be harmed."

"And she won't be. Your daughter is important. The universe needs her."

"The universe can leave her the hell alone, it has me."

"That is her destiny, not yours."

"I thought I'd have more time. That we'd have more time."

"As did we all Mr. Queen. But there are those who, because they can alter time, think  
they should. Time is something that should not be trifled with by those who do not  
understand the consequences. But no matter. It is done and a Crisis is coming sooner  
than expected. Now, back to the task at hand. Please remove your ring Oliver."

"Fine. I'll do it. But never again. Like i told you, you'll have to kill me first. And I'm pretty  
sure that's not the version of my death you told us you saw."

"It is not."

"Let's do this then. The universe can't save itself without me apparently. And the   
sooner this mission is over and I've done what is 'required', the sooner I can put  
my ring back on my finger where it belongs."


End file.
